For the first time since the 2013 season, next year there will be only one Espargaró brother in MotoGP: the eldest of the two, Aleix, since Pol has lost his place in Tech3 and will become a test rider for KTM, with a few wild-cards in pocket. Aleix Espargaró is therefore preparing for a very different life on the slopes next year.
A few minutes before the Valencia GP, which will undoubtedly not be the last together but will mark the end of Pol Espargaró’s career as a starter, Aleix approached him on the starting grid, for a hug from which they both emerged in tears .
“Already on the starting grid it was very moving to visit Pol, because it was his last race”, commented Aleix Espargaró, who reunited with his brother after the finish line: “The last lap we did together was thrilling”.
The Espargaró brothers are two years apart and have competed against each other in numerous categories, including all three classes in the world championship. They faced each other in the 125cc class in 2006 and met again in Moto2 in 2011, before sharing the starting grid for ten seasons in MotoGP. Aleix Espargaró has always admired his younger brother, the only one of the two to have become World Champion, in Moto2 in 2013.
“We started together at the age of five and we raced together in the World Championship for many years. He has always been my idol, he always beat me when I was little, he has always been my reference. I was on the track when he was champion of the world. It was a very special day for me”, added the Aprilia rider on the evening of the Valencia Grand Prix. “I went into his garage and stole his helmet after the race, so I have his last helmet!”
Pol Espargaró’s change of role is not synonymous with retirement, and a return to full-time racing remains possible in 2025. While waiting to learn more about his future, Aleix expects to continue racing alongside him next year. “It will be sad, but he will tell you straight away what he will do and he will be on track at almost every race,” he told the official MotoGP website. “Maybe I can spend more time with him.”
The only brothers on the starting grid in 2024 will be the Márquezes, with Marc and Álex returning to team up in the Gresini team, after sharing the garage of the official Honda team for just one race in 2020. Luca Marini shared the track with Valentino Rossi in 2021, the year of his debut in MotoGP and the retirement of his half-brother.
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